Sea of Desire (47 page)

There was none.

The windows she thought merely closed against
the heat, on closer inspection, were boarded up. Lifting up her
skirts, Felicity raced off the porch. The garden bore signs of
neglect; roses had been let go to seed and weeds were clogging the
once neat walkways. Still Felicity refused to believe the obvious.
She pounded on the servants’ entrance, mumbling a prayer under her
breath that someone would answer.

When she heard a voice, Felicity thought her
prayers were answered. She whirled around, one hand flattened
against her heart, the other still clinging to the heavy
valise.

“They’s gone.”

Felicity stared down at the wizened black man
who stood at the bottom of the porch steps,

“Gone? Where are they?” Could everyone
possibly be out for the day?

He shrugged, his scarecrow shoulders outlined
beneath a tattered shirt. “Ain’t sure.”

“When... when will they be back?”

The old black man shook his grizzled head.
“Ain’t comin’ back, least ways not till all them Yankee devils be
pushed off South Carolina soil.”

“Yankee devils?” Felicity swallowed. She had
the most uncomfortable feeling she was going to faint. “But I’m
their cousin. I came all the way from... from Richmond for a
visit.”

Before he ambled away, the black man’s
expression said he thought that a particularly stupid thing to do.
And the way she felt now, Felicity had to agree with him. Slowly,
not caring if anyone saw her or not, she sank down on the porch
step and yanked off the black bonnet.

What was she to do now?

All her plans hinged on finding Louise in
Charleston. Louise would help her, Felicity was certain of it. She
would understand what had driven Felicity to come to South
Carolina. She would know where to look for Esther’s children.

But Felicity had no idea where to look for
Louise. Her husband’s family was from Columbia, but there was no
guarantee that’s where they were. Besides, Esther had said her
children were on a plantation near Port Royal, and Columbia was in
the opposite direction of where she needed to go.

Wiping her hand across her forehead, Felicity
leaned her shoulder against the porch rail. She could think better
if she weren’t so hot and tired and blasted hungry. But she knew
one thing. She was going to find those children. “Even if I have to
do it by myself,” she muttered slowly, pulling herself up. She
brushed the dust from her skirt and looked around, deciding which
way to go. She’d come this far on her own—she wasn’t going to give
up now.

The first step was to get some rest and food.
If she couldn’t stay at Louise’s she... Why she’d stay at a hotel!
If she remembered correctly The Charleston Hotel was near here.
She’d rent a room, take a nap, then decide the best way to handle
her problem. Stepping out onto the brick sidewalk, she began
trudging up Meeting Street. The air was thick and off to the east,
over the bay, she heard the rumblings of thunder. She needed to
hurry to shelter before it stormed.

She paid little heed to the traffic in the
street until a voice called to her. Felicity looked up to see a
handsome coach stopped beside her.

“Young woman, come here.” There was no
mistaking the aristocratic authority in those words, but Felicity
couldn’t decide if it was a man or woman calling her. She squinted
her eyes trying to see into the darkness of the coach, but couldn’t
make out a thing. Facing ahead, Felicity marched on only to have
the carriage nudge forward beside her.

This time it was the black man holding the
reins who spoke. “Miz Blackstone ain’t gonna hurt ya none.”

“I never thought she would.” Felicity
swallowed, trying to keep her composure.

“Then come over here. I’m much too old to
chase after you.”

The black man climbed off the box and opened
the coach door. Cautiously, Felicity approached the conveyance. It
was big and shiny black, much like the one she used when they went
calling in New York.

“Come closer. Though some would argue
otherwise, I’m not in the habit of devouring young women.”

Felicity could now see the voice belonged to
an elderly lady. She sat very straight, her gnarled hand rounding
the top of a gold tipped walking stick which she tapped impatiently
on the floor of the coach. “Yes, yes, that’s it,” she said when
Felicity was as close as she could get. “Now tell me young woman,
who are you and what are you doing here?”

“I hardly think I owe you an explanation.”
Felicity turned, stopping herself from walking away when she heard
the gravelly chuckle. But when she looked back there was no smile
on the wrinkled face.

“You have a mind of your own. I like that,”
Eveline Blackstone said. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you
shouldn’t be out and about all alone.”

“I’m perfectly fine.”

Eveline didn’t dignify that with a response.
Instead, she leaned forward on her stick, assessing the girl from a
closer vantage. She was rumpled and not entirely clean, but
obviously of quality. “Where are you from, child? I know everyone
from hereabouts, and you aren’t.”

“I’m from Richmond.” Felicity notched her
chin higher and tried to shade her speech with some of her cousin’s
slow drawl.

“Richmond, eh?”

Felicity couldn’t tell if the woman believed
her or not. Though her face was heavily lined her eyes were bright
and intelligent. They held Felicity entranced when she would have
turned away. “Yes. I’ve come south to visit my cousin.”

“Visiting?” The woman put so much disbelief
into that one word that Felicity grimaced. It did sound ridiculous
considering the circumstances. And she had only to glance around to
be reminded of those circumstances. The war was real in Charleston.
Frighteningly so.

Felicity licked her suddenly dry lips. She
couldn’t let fear overwhelm her. And she couldn’t go home empty
handed. Not after the note she left for her father and Jebediah.
She would find Esther’s children and take them to their mother.

But first things first. Ridding herself of
this overbearing woman took priority. And the simplest way to do so
seemed to be to satisfy her curiosity. Felicity cleared her throat.
“Actually I came to stay with her.”

“Are you a widow?”

“I’m...” Felicity realized she’d left her hat
and veil behind. “No.”

“Then why do you wear that dreary garment?”
Eveline pointed her stick toward Felicity’s gown.

“I really don’t think that’s any of your
concern.” Felicity noticed the older woman’s dress was well
tailored but made of a jewel tone silk.

The woman seemed to take no offense at
Felicity’s words. She simply launched another question. “Who is
this cousin of yours? I told you, I know everyone.”

Felicity didn’t doubt it for a moment. She
was such a nosey old harridan. But luckily this part of her story
wasn’t a fabrication. She would tell her, then move on. “My cousin
is Louise Fraser. She resides in Charleston with her husband—”

“Cyrus. I know them well. At least I did till
they up and ran off at the first sign of a Yankee. Feckless lot,”
she mumbled.

“I resent your reference to my cousin
as—”

“I’m only speaking the truth, young lady. How
are we supposed to deal with the problems brought on by this war if
everyone goes running off?” she asked reasonably.

“I... I don’t know.”

“Of course you don’t. Climb in here. I’m
getting a crick in my neck from looking down. And besides, it
appears we’re in for a storm.”

“Oh, I don’t think I should.” The words were
barely out of her mouth before a nod from the elderly lady had the
black man handing Felicity into the coach. Struggling seemed
useless, and besides, Felicity couldn’t believe the woman, for all
her abrasive ways, was anything but harmless. And it was so nice to
get off her feet and sink into the soft leather seat.

“Much better. And you didn’t waste your time
fighting Lucus. I like that. Conserve your strength for the
important battles, I always say. I’m Eveline Blackstone, by the by.
Now, where can we take you?”

The change of topics was so swift that at
first Felicity only blinked. Then her manners surfaced and she
nodded. “Felicity Wentworth, and I am quite capable of
walking.”

Eveline paid no heed to Felicity’s remark.
She simply glanced out the window to her servant. “Lucus, are we
holding up traffic on the street?”

“Yes’m, I do believe we is.”

The look from the older lady’s sharp green
eyes told Felicity she felt her personally responsible for the
backlog... perhaps even for the traffic itself. Besides, the
sporadic patter on the coach roof announced the rain had begun.
With a sigh Felicity clutched her valise handle tighter. “Very
well, the Charleston Hotel.”

Eveline shook her gray head. “We can’t have
you staying there by yourself. Take us home, Lucus.”

“But I...” Before she could protest, the
coach lurched forward, throwing Felicity back against the seat. “I
don’t even know you.”

“I’m sure Louise Fraser would vouch for me...
if she were here, that is. Since she’s decided to high-tail and
run, our introduction will have to suffice. I can’t in good
conscience let a young thing like you wander the streets of
Charleston. My daughter says I don’t realize that times have
changed. But I realize, all right. And the city isn’t safe.
Besides,” she wrapped her other hand around the head of the walking
stick and peered at Felicity over it, “I have plenty of room and
you can keep me company.”

Felicity wasn’t at all certain she wanted to
keep the woman company even if she had the time—which she didn’t.
But before she could figure out how to respond, the coach stopped
in front of a large house, grander even than Cousin Louise’s. Lucus
opened the door and reached in for Mrs. Blackstone.

Having no apparent alternative, Felicity
followed, bending her head and hurrying through the now steady
downpour to the portico. Brushing rain droplets from her hair,
Felicity stood beside Mrs. Blackstone who seemed not to be wet at
all. The older woman was much smaller than Felicity had
assumed—perhaps because her voice suggested someone of larger
stature. She seemed to bristle under the care of her servant who
quickly let go of her elbow.

“Getting old is the price we pay for our
sins,” Eveline said when she noticed Felicity watching her.

“I’d say old age is preferable to the
alternative,” Felicity quipped, then wished she hadn’t. Before she
died, her mother warned her repeatedly that she spoke too often
without thinking. When she glanced toward Mrs. Blackstone the
woman’s expression was stern.

“You have an impertinent mouth, young woman.”
Eveline pursed her lips. “Perhaps that’s what I like about
you.”

The door was opened by a black woman who
looked every bit as old as her mistress. Speechless, Felicity
followed her into the house. The foyer was wide and open,
beautifully appointed with murals and mahogany.

From the top of the wide spiral staircase
came a high-pitched voice. “There you are, Mama. I’ve been ever so
worried.”

Felicity watched as a plump woman in
billowing skirts floated down the steps. When her feet landed on
the marble parquet floor she rushed to Mrs. Blackstone, enveloping
her in a gigantic hug.

“Are you trying to suffocate me, Judith?”
Eveline extricated herself from the encompassing arms and stepped
away.

“Why no, Mama.” Judith sounded sincerely
upset by her mother’s remark. “You were just gone so long, and you
know I don’t like you driving around Charleston unescorted.”

“I’ve been driving around Charleston since
before you were born.” Eveline tapped her walking stick on the
floor to emphasize her point.

“Of course you have, Mama.” Judith’s tone was
condescending. “But times have changed.”

“I’m well aware of that. Felicity.” Eveline
turned toward her. “This is my daughter Judith Fenton. Judith,
Felicity Wentworth of Richmond. She’s Louise Fraser’s cousin. Miss
Wentworth will be staying with us for a while.”

Was it Felicity’s imagination or did the
older woman hesitate before she said Richmond? In any case she
didn’t have time to worry about it. Mrs. Blackstone hobbled off
into the large room to the right. After a quick assessment of their
guest and an even quicker greeting, Judith followed.

“But Mama, we’re not in the position to have
visitors. Besides,” her voice lowered, “you never liked the
Frasers.”

“Whether I do or do not like the Frasers is
immaterial.” Her tone never dropped so much as a decibel, and
Felicity had to smile at the way Judith tried to hush her. “And the
day you bury me,” Eveline continued, “is the day this house won’t
have room for guests.” She settled onto the edge of an elaborate
winged chair that dwarfed her diminutive frame. “Come, come,
Felicity, don’t allow my daughter’s manners to offend you. Leave
your bag in the hallway. Lucus will get it for you.”

Felicity gripped the handle tighter, lugging
the valise as she entered the parlor.

“I certainly didn’t mean she wasn’t more than
welcome.” Judith’s lips curved into a smile. “I merely meant—”

“Yes, yes, Judith. We are aware of what you
meant. Now do ring for some refreshment. It’s devilish hot out. Oh
wait, here’s Ruth.”

The same elderly woman who opened the door
entered the room bearing a tray that seemed likely to topple her
forward at any minute. She set the silver on the tea table in front
of Eveline. Her mumbled, “Of course it’s hot out there, it’s June
ain’t it,” brought a chuckle from Mrs. Blackstone; a scowl from her
daughter.

“Mama, you really shouldn’t encourage Ruth
to...” Judith began, but when she noticed her mother paid her no
heed, stopped. With a muttered noise, she sank into the chair
across from Eveline and snatched a sweet off the platter.